April 10, 2018 I Pfizer Inc. today announced that the independent Data Monitoring Committee for the Phase 3 ATLAS trial evaluating INLYTA® (axitinib) as adjuvant therapy for patients at high risk of recurrent renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after nephrectomy recommended stopping the trial at a planned interim analysis due to futility. The recommendation was based on the study failing to demonstrate a clear improvement in the primary endpoint of extending disease-free survival (DFS) for patients treated with INLYTA compared with patients treated with placebo. No new safety signals were observed, and the safety profile was consistent with the known profile of INLYTA in advanced RCC.

“We are disappointed by the outcome of this study as we had hoped the efficacy that INLYTA has demonstrated as a second-line treatment in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma would carry over to patients with earlier stage disease, where it would delay or prevent disease relapse. That goal was not achieved. We will conduct additional analyses on the data that may provide insight into this result. Studies evaluating INLYTA in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with a variety of advanced stage cancers, including RCC, will continue,” said Mace Rothenberg, M.D., Chief Development Officer, Oncology, Pfizer Global Product Development.

Detailed efficacy and safety data from ATLAS will be submitted for presentation at a future medical meeting.

INLYTA has had a significant impact on the treatment of patients with advanced RCC worldwide in its currently approved indications, supported by an extensive body of evidence in scientific literature including more than 50 publications. More than 66,000 patients have been treated with INLYTA to date.1 For more information on INLYTA, please visit www.INLYTA.com.

About RCC

Each year, approximately 338,000 new cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed worldwide, representing approximately 2-3 percent of all cancers.2,3,4 Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer, accounting for around 90 percent of cases.5 Approximately 75 percent of patients with clear cell RCC are non-metastatic, and 70-80 percent will have a nephrectomy with curative intent, or surgical removal of the tumor.6 However, a subset will relapse after surgery and once their disease becomes metastatic, their long-term prognosis is poor in advanced RCC with a 5-year survival rate as low as 12%.7

About ATLAS

ATLAS (A Randomized Double-Blind Phase 3 Study of Adjuvant Axitinib Versus Placebo in Subjects at High Risk of Recurrent RCC)(NCT01599754) is a global, multicenter, randomized double-blind Phase 3 trial that investigated the clinical efficacy and safety of adjuvant INLYTA (5 mg twice daily) versus placebo in patients (n=724) at high risk of recurrent RCC following nephrectomy. Patients were dosed up to 3 years (for a minimum of 1 year) in the study and the primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). The study was conducted in collaboration with SFJ Pharmaceuticals, who provided the funding and clinical development supervision to generate the clinical data.

About INLYTA® (axitinib)

INLYTA is an oral therapy that is designed to inhibit tyrosine kinases, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors 1, 2 and 3; these receptors can influence tumor growth, vascular angiogenesis and progression of cancer (the spread of tumors). In the U.S., INLYTA is approved for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after failure of one prior systemic therapy. INLYTA is also approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for use in the EU in adult patients with advanced RCC after failure of prior treatment with sunitinib or a cytokine.

About the SFJ Pharmaceuticals Group

SFJ is a global drug development company, which provides a unique and highly customized co-development partnering model for the world’s top pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. SFJ provides at-risk funding and the global clinical development management and oversight, necessary for regulatory submission for some of the most promising drug development programs of Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology companies. SFJ’s mission is to leverage its financial strength and global team of pharmaceutical development experts to accelerate the development of life-saving and life enhancing drugs for the benefit of physicians and the patients they serve.

About Pfizer Oncology

Pfizer Oncology is committed to pursuing innovative treatments that have a meaningful impact on people living with cancer. Our growing pipeline of biologics, small molecules, and immunotherapies is focused on identifying and translating the best scientific breakthroughs into clinical application for patients across a diverse array of solid tumors and hematologic cancers. Today, we have 10 approved oncology medicines and 17 assets currently in clinical development. By maximizing our internal scientific resources and collaborating with other companies, government and academic institutions, as well as non-profit and professional organizations, we are bringing together the brightest and most enterprising minds to take on the toughest cancers. Together we can accelerate breakthrough treatments to patients around the world and work to redefine life with cancer.

Working together for a healthier world®

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world’s best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world’s premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.pfizer.com. In addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.pfizer.com and follow us on Twitter at @Pfizer and @Pfizer_News, LinkedIn, YouTube, and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer.

1 Pfizer data on file.
2 Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F.GLOBOCAN 2008 v1.2, Cancer Incidence and Mortality Worldwide: IARC CancerBase No. 10 Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2010. Available at: http://globocan.iarc.fr(link is external). Accessed April 2018.
3 Ljungberg B, Campbell S and Choi H. The Epidemiology of Renal Cell Carcinoma. Eur Urol. 2011;60:615-621.
4 World Cancer Research Fund International: Kidney Cancer statistics. Available from: http://www.wcrf.org/int/cancer-facts-figures/data-specific-cancers/kidne…. Accessed April 2018.
5 What is Kidney Cancer. James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer. Available at: http://www.jameswhalefund.org/kidneycancer/what-is-kidney-cancer/(link is external). Accessed April 2018.
6 Based on comparison between 2015 Swedish population study (76%), Navigant interviews (95%), and Quant Pulse (79%). 2018-2022.
7 The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Cancer Stat Facts: Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/kidrp.html. Accessed April 2018.

SOURCE: Pfizer